Portion-conscious train passenger
You want to take crisps for a single snack break without accidentally eating your way through a large bag. Compare the calories per portion with the pack’s net weight, or take a measured amount with you.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Choosing a lower-fat option
You’re comparing lower-fat crisps with regular potato crisps, but also want to know what that means for the calories in an equal-sized portion. According to Albert Heijn’s product listing, Lay's Oven Baked is presented as having 50% less fat than regular potato crisps. Check the nutritional information for the exact flavour before making your choice.
Passenger checking ingredients
As well as calories, you’re concerned about salt, ingredients or allergens. Albert Heijn lists AH Ridged Crisps Original Less Fat as vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free, while Jumbo lists milk and sulphites in Smiths Sticks Paprika. Always check the label on the pack you buy.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide how many crisps you want to eat on the journey. Then compare nutritional values on the same weight basis and check whether the pack suits that amount.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Calories per portion | Compare kcal per 100 g and for the amount you plan to take; check how many portions the bag contains. | If I want to eat a set amount while travelling, I want to know how many kcal it contains. Around 36% of consumers give portion control the highest priority. |
| Fat and calories per 100 g | Read both values on the same weight basis and check what a ‘less fat’ claim is being compared with. | I’m looking for a lower-fat option, but I also want to see whether the calories differ for the same amount. This comparison matters most to around 29% of consumers. |
| Packaging for travelling | Check the net weight and, if needed, choose a small pack or bring your own resealable container. | Opening a large bag for a single snack break is inconvenient. I want to be able to store the rest easily and dispose of the packaging. This convenience is the top priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Salt, ingredients and allergens | Check the salt content, ingredients and allergen information for the exact product variant. | As well as calories, I need to be able to check whether the ingredients and allergen information suit my needs. For around 14% of consumers, checking the label is their main concern. |
Common mistakes
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Taking ‘less fat’ as permission to eat the whole bag
A lower fat content says nothing about how much you’ll end up eating. Jumbo lists 128 kcal per 30 g for Lay's Oven Baked Original, while a 150 g bag contains five portions of that size.
Decide on your portion in advance and, if necessary, put it in a smaller container at home.
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Comparing portions with different weights directly
A value per 30 g can’t be directly compared with one per 40 g. For example, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives 215 kcal for a 40 g bowl of average crisps. That’s a different amount, not a figure for a specific product variant.
First compare products per 100 g, then work out the figures for the amount you want to take.
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Using Nutri-Score as a complete assessment
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, a Nutri-Score of A or B doesn’t automatically mean a product is healthy. The score also doesn’t replace checking portion size, salt and ingredients.
Read the nutritional information for the exact flavour and use Nutri-Score only as an additional point of comparison within the product group.
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Leaving allergen and waste checks until you’re on the train
Ingredients vary between snacks: Jumbo lists milk and sulphites in Smiths Sticks Paprika. NS also asks passengers to put rubbish in the bin.
Check the label before buying, and make sure you can clear away the empty packaging and crumbs.
Brands compared
Lay's
A useful choice if you want to compare regular potato crisps, Oven Baked and smaller bags from the same range.
- Jumbo lists 428 kcal per 100 g and 128 kcal per 30 g for Lay's Oven Baked Original.
- The brand’s lower-fat claim doesn’t tell you how many calories you’ll eat if you have more than one portion.
Pringles
A useful choice if you want to take stackable crisps in a tube and choose the pack size in advance.
- Pringles Netherlands lists Original packs in 40 g, 70 g and 165 g sizes.
- A larger tube doesn’t determine your portion. Check the net weight and nutritional information for the pack you choose.
Albert Heijn
The own-brand range includes ridged crisps, so you can compare the lower-fat claim with the nutritional values.
- Albert Heijn states that AH Ridged Crisps Original Less Fat has 35% less fat than AH Ridged Crisps Original.
- This comparison applies to these variants. Check the calories for your portion and the current ingredients list too.
Smiths
Smiths Sticks Paprika is a potato and maize snack to assess on its own, rather than treating it as an interchangeable potato crisp.
- Its format and ingredients offer a different point of comparison alongside regular potato crisps.
- Jumbo lists milk and sulphites in Smiths Sticks Paprika. Check the label if allergens are important to your choice.
Snack Day
Snack Day is Lidl’s crisps and snacks brand, with a range of flavours to compare in store.
- The range includes several crisp flavours to compare by packaging and ingredients.
- Check the calories, salt and allergens for the exact product variant on the label in store.
Crisps and crisp alternatives on Joybuy
These products show two ways to choose an amount to take with you: a larger bag of oven-baked potato crisps, from which you can serve yourself a portion, and a small pack of broccoli crisps as an alternative. A small pack doesn’t, by itself, tell you how many calories there are per 100 g.
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Lay's Oven Baked Original, 150 g
For anyone who wants to take oven-baked potato crisps and serve themselves a portion from the bag.
The bag contains 150 g. Set aside the amount you want for your journey if you don’t want to treat the whole bag as one portion.
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Broccoli crisps, 20 g
For anyone who wants to take a small pack of a crisp-like vegetable snack.
The pack contains 20 g. Compare the nutritional information with that of potato crisps before assessing the product by its calorie content.
Frequently asked questions
Do oven-baked crisps always contain fewer calories?
You can’t assume that for all oven-baked crisps. Jumbo lists 428 kcal per 100 g for Lay's Oven Baked Original and 517 kcal per 100 g for Lay's Original. For another flavour or brand, compare the values per 100 g and per planned portion again.
How do I choose a portion of crisps for the train?
Use the portion size on the label as a guide, then decide how much you want to take. Jumbo lists 128 kcal per 30 g for Lay's Oven Baked Original. You can measure out that amount in advance or choose a small pack with a net weight you know.
What should I look out for when taking crisps on the NS train?
Take an amount that’s easy to store and clear away. NS rules say rubbish should go in the bin, so make sure you don’t leave behind the empty packaging or crumbs.
Does a Nutri-Score B tell me everything I need to know about a bag of crisps?
No. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre explains that a Nutri-Score of A or B doesn’t automatically mean a product is healthy. Also check the portion size, calories, salt content and ingredients for the exact product variant.